TWISTED TOUR GUIDE TO LOS ANGELES

Book excerpt: Avoid The Tourist Herds. What could be more uninspiring than seeing the identical attractions that everyone else has for decades? This Twisted Tour Guide escorts you to the places locals don’t want to talk about anymore…the same places people once couldn’t stop talking about. Long after the screaming headlines and sensationalism has subsided, these bizarre, infamous and obscure historical sites remain hidden awaiting rediscovery. Each visitation site in this guide is accompanied by a story. Many of the narratives defy believability, yet they are true. The profiled cast of characters feature saints and sinners (with emphasis towards the latter). Notorious crimes, murders, accidental deaths, suicides, kidnappings, vice and scandal are captivating human interest tales. The photography from each profile showcases the precise location where each event occurred. The scenes can seem ordinary, weird and/or sometimes very revealing towards clarifying the background behind events. If you’re seeking an alternative to conventional tourism, this Twisted Tourist Guide is ideal. Each directory accommodates the restless traveler and even resident looking for something unique and different. Scandals: Sister Aimee Semple’s disappearance, Zoot Suit riots, Howard Hughes’ collisions, George Michael sex sting, Dr. Lanterman’s abortions, Pio Pico shortsighted swap, Rodney King beating, Roman Polanski’s flight from justice and Julian Oil, Valhalla Cemetery and Girard Swindles Famous Homicides and Killers: Billionaire Boys Club, Barbara Graham, Black Dahlia, Bonnie Lee Bakely, Edward Allaway, Police Captain Walter Auble, Charles Crawford, Christian Brando, Dominique Dunne, Dr. Raymond Finch, Efren Saldivar, Ennis Cosby, Geneva Ellroy, Haing Ngor, Johnny Stompanato, Mickey and Trudy Thompson, Newhall CHP Shootout, Nicole Brown-Simpson, SLA Fuselage, Phil Spector, Ramon Novarro, Rebecca Schaeffer, Ronni Chasen, Sal Mineo, Sam Cooke, Susan Berman, Ted Healy, North Hollywood Bank of America Heist, Van Cleef & Arpels Hostage Standoff, William Desmond Taylor and the Wonderland massacres Serial Killers: Charles Manson, Golden State Killer, Richard Ramirez and Hillside Stranger Murder-Suicides: Dorothy Stratten, Johnny Lewis, Ned Doheny and Phil Hartman Assassinations and Contract Murders: Bugsy Siegel, Notorious B.I.G., Raymond Washington, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Vic Weiss Celebrity Suicides and Locations: Brian Keith, Carol Landis, Hotel Cecil, Pasadena’s Colorado Street Bridge, Darby Crash, DeeDee Ramone, Del Shannon, Don Cornelius, Freddie Prinze, George Reeve, Herve Villechaize, Hugh O’Connor, Keith Emerson, Lupe Velez, Margaux Hemmingway, Peg Entwistle, Pete Duel, Pier Angeli, Ross Alexander, Tony Scott and Verne Troyer Shocking Celebrity Deaths and Overdoses: Dennis Wilson, Lenny Bruce, Janis Joplin, John Belushi, Michael Jackson, Paul Walker, River Phoenix and Whitney Houston Prostitution and Renowned Madams: Lee Frances, Hollywood Love Market, Heidi Fleiss, Calle de los Negroes and Hugh Grant’s Indiscretion